Rachel's Toy
by Larania Drake
Summary: Rachel get's the Witchblade. Don't kill me!
1. Default Chapter Title

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Rachel's Toy

Disclaimer* Animorphs belongs to Scholastic, and Witchblade belongs to Topcow. I don't own any of these concepts, and I' not making any money. (But if any of the afore mentioned owners read this and have a job opening..?)

This is a "what-if" type deal. I am disregarding the current Witchblade story line. Don't kill me for it.

Eric the Chee was worried. I took a lot to worry an immortal android, and this was one of them. When he had worked as a slave in ancient Egypt, he had seen this weapon created. He didn't know how, and that scared him. As and android, he was a creature of science, built and programmed from it. This was magic. He wanted magic to stay a part of human fireside stories to be told to frighten children into miss behaving. It shouldn't suddenly become real again, and Visser 3 should definitly not be a part of it.

The time matrix had been buried under the pyrimids. Visser 3 had discovered this, and now he had gone there to see if anything else was there. 

Eric knew of something that might be there, and he had to tell the Animorphs.

"So, you are saying, Eric, that a magical artifact of incredible power is hidden in Egypt. The only problem is that it might not still be there. But if Visser 3 finds it, our butts are toast. Is that a good sum up?" asked Marco. "Have you been reading to many comic books? Checked to see if there are any bugs in your systems? Are you **INSANE**?"

"No, Marco," said Eric patiently. "I didn't expect you to believe me. Truthfully, though, I have seen things in my lifetime on Earth that totally defy rational explanation. I wish I could give you better information. The artifact that I remember is extremely active. It is like an artificial intelligance. It chooses who welds it. The only problem with that is that it is completely chaotic. Most of its host, or barers, or welders, whatever you want to call them, have a strong chaotic streak. Either they go mad, if their will aren't hard enough, or they become incredible warriors, for good or evil, depending on their natures. What I'm afraid of is that Visser 3 will find this thing, and use it to conquer Earth."

"Tell me, please, that there is a ray of sunshine in all this," mumbled Rachel.

"Sort of. Only a female can use it. Or it only bonds with a female user. The legends aren't to clear on that point," said Eric.

So unless Visser 3 has a sex change, we ought to be safe, right? thought spoke Tobias. Visser 3 is definitely male.

"He could find a female that it will bond to, and take her over," shot out Jake. " Or he could morph a female and it could bond to that. We are not out of the woods yet, people." 

The meeting ajourned, and everyone went home.

The next couple of days were very tense, because Eric had not been able to tell the Animorphs about Visser 3's departure until after he had left. So all they could do was wait, and hope they got lucky.

So they did. Visser 3 came as grumpy as he ever did, and promptly killed any Controller in his line of sight. 

The Animorphs breathed a sigh of relief.

Next week a collection of artifacts from Greece were making a visit to the local museum. All the Animorphs, including Ax and Tobias, had wanted to see it. The reason for them all going was because Eric was going to tell them the _real_ story behind most of the objects, and his commentary made even Marco interested in going.

They all reached there at about 4:00 that day. Eric extented his hologram so that Ax and Tobias could demorph and morph again. Then they all went inside.

Eric led them around, telling them humorus and etremely colorful stories about that time period. They were hearing the real story of Lysystrata, when Rachel looked over and saw a strange glove in the back of one of the cases. It had an odd organic look, almost if it was alive. Jewels shone out of various places in its make up. Rachel was totally caught up in looking at it.

"Hey, Eric. Know what this thing is?" she called.

Eric strode over and peered over her shoulder. His holographic face went pale.

"That's the Witchblade."

"The what?" said Rachel, confused.

"The artifact that, ah, you know was so interested in," whispered Eric. There were a lot of people about. He gestured to the others, and they came over. He hurriedly whispered what they had found, putting up his hologram again.

"I can't believe it! Of all the places for it to be, it's in our museum!" snorted Tobias.

"We've got to get it out of here. If any Controllers find out that it is here, we are so dead." Yelled Marco.

"Hmm," said Ax. "I believe that I have a plan, Prince Jake."

Ax told them about his idea. Eric would project a hologram of the weapon being there, and they would take it now. He could easily disable the security systems, and then they would walk out, and Eric could stay for a few minutes, giving the illusion that it was still there, and then leave. It sounded like it might work.

"You okay with that, Eric?" asked Jake.

"I don't want that thing falling into anyone's hands, let alone the Yeerks."

Rachel added her famous," Let's do it!"

They did. Ax disabled the alarms, and Rachel distracted the security guard. Jake grabbed the Witchblade, and they left the building. They got as far as the parking garage, when they heard a familiar sound. Dracon beams firing.

They picked up the pace, and rounded a corner. They almost ran into Visser 3 in human morph.

They all collectively stopped a gasp, and ducked behind a van. Jake hissed," Battle morphs, now!"

They stripped their outer clothing into their morphing outfits. They all went through the routine of mutating, stretching, changing and compressing. When they were done, a group of wolf, gorilla, grizzly bear, tiger, hawk and Andalite stood in their places.

They charged. That was all they could think to do. The building was now sealed off. They had to fight their way out.

A group of Hork-Bajir and Taxxon Controllers met them. Ax sliced a Hork-Bajir's arm off, while Cassie hamstrung another. Rachel burst Taxxon's like they were made of putty. Marco slung around a Taxxon into a Hork-Baijir like it was a baseball bat. Tobias harried Visser 3.

The fight was going in the Animorphs favor until Visser 3 morphed. He chose a huge, black obsidian elephant type creature that was covered in armor. The edges of all its surfaces were covered in razors. 

One by one the Animorphs flung themselves at it, trying to get by.

Where the heck is the elevator! screamed Cassie.

Behind HIM! shouted back Tobias.

The stairs? panted Jake.

Can't find them. There aren't any! yelled Marco.

I am so tired of this. You're MINE! declared Rachel, and she made a last charge at Visser 3.

He flung her to the ground, completely severing her right leg. She lay there in shock.

Ah, did the little Andalite fall down and go boom? cackled Visser 3.

Marco darted out and yanked Rachel behind the van. Demorph, Rachel. DEMORPH! he snapped.

She barely managed. She was so weak for blood loss, she couldn' keep her concentration. 

Marco left to reenter the fight, and she looked over at the Witvhblade. **Pick me up,** it seemed to say. **Together, we can destroy any who would oppose us. We can save your friends, and conquer your enemies.**

It was too much for her to resist. She crawled over to it, and slipped it onto her right hand.

**THE POWER!**

She stood up, and the Witchblade flowed over her and inside her. It covered her like armor, and then masked her face. She calmly walked out to face Visser 3. 

Well, what is this? He sneered. Some new morph to throw at me?

She lifted her right arm, and eldritch energy seared the Controllers behind him. The Witchblade shot out tenticles, that attempted to peirce Visser 3's morph. 

She and her blade snarled as this failed. She again threw magical fire, and this time he retreated.

GRGRgrhhh! he howled. You have it! You have the Witchblade! You have won today, but I will someday have it for myself! Retreat! Retreat!

The Controllers scattered.

When they had all left, the Witchblade retracted. Rachel ripped it off her arm. She had felt the addiction that thing could make. She wasn't sure she wanted it. But oh, how she **did** want it.

Everything went black.

Rachel woke up in Cassie's barn. She checked herself over, but seemed to be all in one piece. She couldn't remember what had happened.

"So, what have I missed?" she croaked.

Cassie gave her some water.

"We won. We have the Witchblade," said Jake.

"And you are apparently the new barer," said a less than happy Eric.

Rachel choked on her water.

"Do I have any choice in this?" she said in a shaky voice.

"I'm not sure. If you want it, though, it's right there. But I'm not sure that you can say no. I think you should wait a few days and see what happens." 

"I agree with you. Let's wait and see."

Comments? Hate it, love it, think it should be used for kleenex?


	2. Playtime

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Rachel's Toy 2: Playtime

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to Scholastic, and Witchblade belongs to Top Cow. I am not making any money off of this.

To those who read my earlier one, I am sorry that I forgot that Eric was Erek. Freudian slip. I have always changed the two out in my mind. I was writing this at nine p.m., and was a little off kilter.

Rachel was at school. Boring, pointless and it was driving her crazy!

Ever since she had put on the Witchblade the other evening, she had had a persistent headache. A buzz had followed her the whole day, and she felt like she was going batty. All she could concentrate on was the memory of pure power, absolute mastery and the glory of the violence that she had dished out to those Controllers. It was more of a rush than flying with Tobias. 

She had talked to Erek (I got that right?) later, and he had told her of the effects the Switchblade could have. She had dealt with the side off her craved violence, and had learned the value of both. The Witchblade sounded like her action-psycho-gymnast side. She had barely managed to come out of that sane. She didn't need some ancient glove taking her over.

She laughed grimly to herself. She thought the Witchblade sounded like a Controller.

She was afraid that if she were to put it on again, she would lose herself to it. Yet, the possibilities of what she and the other Animorphs could do to the Yeerks were boundless. They could defeat them with a single strike. Drive them off Earth. Go off world and free all the planets under Yeerk oppression. All she had to do was claim the Witchblade, and her enemies would fall. She had the power of life and death, and….

No, she thought. I am not going to let you sucker me into using you. Stay out of my mind. I don't want you.

But the song was so sweet, a gentle crooning in her ears, a sharp stab of pain when she resisted.

Rachel ground her teeth, and went on.

On the bus ride back home, Jake came over and sat beside her.

"How you doing?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

She sighed. "Fine," she answered. "As fine as you can expect, anyway. I have this really awful headache, and this feeling of **wanting**. It is driving me nuts. I'm not sure how much longer I can take this."

Jake muttered under his breath. "Hold out for as long as you can. We will find a way out of this. I promise."

Jake got up and left.

Rachel went home in a daze.

When she got home, she found that the house was a wreck. This wasn't a surprise, because with three girls and a busy one-parent household, that was the usual case. What disturbed her was that her mother was sitting on the couch, absolutely still.

"Mom? Hey, Mom, bad day at work?" she asked, worried.

Her Mom looked up at her with eyes that were full of pain.

"Mom, what's wrong? You're scaring me," she said harshly.

"It's Jordan. On the way home, she was walking across a street, and, there was an accident…"

"My God," Rachel choked. "Jordan's dead."

To her relief, her mom shook her head no. 

"Not dead, in a coma. There was horrible brain damage. She may never, ever wake up,' she whispered.

Now the tears that had hidden inside bubbled out. Rachel hugged her mom, and didn't say a word, because she was crying, too.

Oh, Jordan, little sister. There was nothing I could have done, but I still feel that I should have been there to save you. I have saved the world, yet when it comes down to protecting my little sister, I screwed up, she thought miserably. 

They were on their way to the hospital. Sarah was in the back seat, sobbing for hr big sister. Rachel was still in a haze of self-accusation. Her mom was driving like a machine, not really paying an attention. They got to the hospital. 

When they entered Jordan's room, they stood there numbly. All they could do was stare at the still form lying in the bed. Nothing seemed real.

Rachel's dad showed up later that evening. Her mom took Sarah home, but Rachel decided to stay. She wanted to be there with her little sister.

She eventually fell asleep on a couch in the hall. Then she dreamed.

In her dream, people, Controllers, all the people that she had killed, alien or human, accused her. They pointed fingers, taunted her, and clawed at her. She saw Tom, when they had failed to get him out of the Yeerk pool. She heard David's screams as they made him into a nothlit. The infestation pier and a thousand other things combined to give her one of the most gruesome nightmares of her life. Finally, Jordan appeared, and just looked at her. Looked at her, and turned away.

"Goodbye, sister," she said in a singsong voice. "You couldn't help me, so now I have to leave." She began walking down a long corridor.

"No!" Rachel screamed. "No, things are different now! I, **we** can change things! I, **We** have the power of **death** and of **life**! **WE CAN GIVE YOU LIFE!**"

Rachel woke up to the sound of the heart monitors going flat line. Doctors rushed in, and started CPR. Rachel watched with her heart in her throat, as they barely got Jordan's heart started again.

She sat there and shook. Mighty Xena, fearless Rachel, sat and cried. Her dad came over and held her. Combing his fingers through her hair, he suggested that she go home.

"No, Dad. Could I call Cassie's parents and see if they could let me spend the night? I don't think I could go home right now," she sobbed.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I understand. I'll go call them now." He left for the pay phones.

Rachel waited for Cassie to show up, and a plan formed inside her head.

Cassie came up, and hugged Rachel fiercely. "She'll make it Rachel," she murmured into her best friend's ear.

"Yeah, I know she will," Rachel said back. They rode out to Cassie's in her father's truck.

After receiving the well-meant sympathy from Cassie's parents, she went into Cassie's bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, and then heard a pecking on the glass.

Hey, Rache, let me in, said Tobias.

Rachel flung open the window, and Tobias floated in. He morphed to human, and held her. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"If you (sniff) breathe a word of this to Marco, I swear that I will kick your butt," she said.

"Word of honor," he whispered. "You need to get some sleep. I need to get going."

She sniffed and nodded, and he demorphed and flew away.

Cassie and her family began going to bed. After they were all safely asleep, she crept out to the barn where they had hidden the Witchblade.

She rooted through haybales until she was covered in dust, then finally found it. She looked at it, and said, I hope you were telling the truth in that dream of your's. You found my weak spot, didn't you? No matter how much I may like a good fight, my sense of duty is greater, especially to my family. To save my sister, yes, I will be your barer."

She slipped on the Witchblade. It contracted to the size and shape of a small watch.

She grinned ironically, and said," I hope I can morph with you on me." Then she began her owl morph.

Slowly, her skin shaded into feathers, and her teeth became a beak. Her feet became talons. She was mostly owl, but still human height, and had hands right up till the time she finished the morph. Then she flew into the night.

She landed on the hospital roof, and demorphed, and found that the Witchblade was still there. She morphed cockroach, and wiggled under the roof entrance door. Demorphing, she went to Jordan's room.

The Witchblade covered her arm in the gauntlet like form that it had been in when they found it. She walked over to the bed, and touched the hair of the heart-breakingly still child. She put her Witchblade covered arm on Jordan's forehead, and said," Please, whatever you are, if you have some sort of compassion, some sort of pity, please make my sister well. Heal all the stuff that I don't know about. Take away her pain. Please."

The Witchblade glowed with an eerie, purple light. It surrounded Jordan, and the EEG monitors started picking up. Life returned to the still limbs, and Jordan began to stir.

Rachel gave a gasp, and pulled back her hand. She morphed into a rat, and hid under the bed as nurses rushed in. They looked at Jordan's monitors, and at each other.

Rachel's dad charged in, and stopped short.

"Hi, Daddy," Jordan said, weakly.

"A miracle," he said, tears streaming down his face.

Rachel flew back to Cassie's, and got into bed just before her dad called with the good news. They all celebrated, but Rachel held back. Cassie looked at her, questioningly. She smiled back, and said she was tired. Cassie looked skeptical, but let it go.

Later that night, she lay in bed, and looked at the Witchblade attached to her wrist.

"Rachel, m'girl, what the heck have you gotten yourself into?" 


	3. Testing

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Rachel's Toy 3: Testing

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to Scholastic and Witchblade belongs to Top Cow. I don't own it, and I am not making any money off it.

My name is Rachel, and I am the new bearer of the Witchblade, as well as being an Animorph.

Talk about pressure to do well.

You probably know the story well enough by now, and I don't want to bore you with the details. Anyway, having the Witchblade has been giving me a headache, literally. I haven't been going psycho-gymnast like the time when I was split in two, but I have been raring up for a good fight. Sadly, the Yeerks have been quiet lately. So all I have been able to do is go to school and stew.

I got there, and went to my first class. Social studies, a big yawn. 

Next class was more of the same.

After lunch came gym, and volleyball. Then I got some action, just not the kind I wanted. I was rotated up next to the net, and this girl named Jessica was right behind me. The ball had just come over the net…

I jumped to spike it, when a body collided with mine, and I fell on my side.

"Hey!" I yelled. "What did you do that for?"

"Stay out of my way, mighty Rachel," sneered Jessica. "I called that one, didn't I?" She gestured behind her, and no one said anything. Jessica was a bully, and no one else was going to back me up.

I clenched my teeth, as my own fighting instinct and the urge to use the Witchblade demanded that I destroy Jessica where she stood. I could imagine myself jumping to my feet, and tearing out her throat-

No Rachel, I thought. She's just a kid with and ego problem. That is no reason to-

-**_Flame her, stab her, rip out her heart and strangle her with her entrails, crush her bones, pluck her eyes out of her head_ -**

STOP IT!

I sat and panted, as Jessica made fun of me, not knowing that she had barely escaped death.

The rest of the day blurred, as I struggled to keep from violence. Cassie knew something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what. See, I kinda forgot to tell the gang that I had decided to accept the Witchblade. They didn't know I had it, and I knew Jake would worry, and, well, I just didn't tell them. On the way home from school, Jake called a meeting. I had a pretty good idea of what it would be about.

I flew to the barn, and met Tobias on the way there.

Hey Rachel! he called.

What's up? I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. 

The Witchblade is gone. Cassie thinks it was taken a couple of days ago.

Hmm. I replied. I wonder who could have known about it to take it?

I flew in to the barn, and demorphed. Everyone else was their already, and we all looked at Jake expectantly.

Jake began," Okay, I think everyone knows by now that the reason that I called the meeting is because Cassie went out to check on the Witchblade, and found that it was missing. We don't know who has it now, and frankly, I wouldn't care, as long as the Yeerks didn't have it. Erek has been researching the thing and found that once it chooses a bearer, it won't let that person go for a while. It also has a mind of its own. It will protect the girl wearing it, and if a person it does not want gets it, it will take their hand off.

"If the lady who has it is not strong willed enough to control the thing, it will turn them into homicidal maniacs."

I may get off on the rush of danger fighting the Yeerks, but it is for a good cause. I know the stakes, and for the most part, control it. I learned from my separation that I need my whole mind. I also learned how strong my sense of duty is, and I hoped that I could use that to stop the Witchblade.

I shuddered. 

I and the Witchblade wrestled for control for the whole next week. If I let my temper get to me, I could feel it waiting to pounce. I needed to do something, fast. The next Sunday, I felt like tearing my hair out. Anything that could annoy me, did. I was hard pressed to keep from slapping Jordan, even after what I had done to save her. I needed help.

Then Erek showed up with some news. Visser 3 thought he had found a way to take the Witchblade.

He was planning on having someone conduct a rite that would enable him to absorb the power of the Witchblade. We had to stop him.

"After all," said Jake. "He can't take it from us, since we no longer have it, but we have got to keep him from getting it."

I groaned when no one was watching.

The next evening we sneaked into the place were the rite had to take place. It was a wide open field. I was freaking out.

There was Visser 3. He was surrounded by body guards. 

I morphed to wolf and skulked around behind. I felt anger radiate from my weapon. It wanted to kill the one who would take it from its chosen. I did, too. Together, our anger grew.

The ritual, which I was rapidly beginning to believe, did nothing at all, mostly because it involved a lot of chanting and doing silly dances. I could tell the Witchblade felt about the same way. It itched with contempt.

The comedy before us came to a climax. The chanters' voices rose to a crescendo, then faded.

Nothing happened.

Now was the time.

I demorphed and focused on my bear-

The Witchblade struck!

It covered me with its armor, and masked my face. I lifted my arm, and tendrils rained out on the Controllers. One struck a tree, and I was dragged into the clearing. Involuntarily, my arm lifted, and fire rained on those around me. I couldn't care less. I was full of the glory of using my weapon, reveling in the destruction. **This** was what I was supposed t be doing with my life! Eliminating those who faced me, shredding any who stood in my way!

(_No, Rachel,)_ a little voice screamed in my mind. (_What about the hosts, those that can't run? This isn't you. You have a duty. To yourself, to your world, to the Animorphs. Listen to me, Rachel!)_

No, we thought back. The Witchblade has shown us the wonders, the pleasures of death. Nothing else matters! Nothing!

(_Rachel! Rachel, no! Rachel…)_

The voice of my conscience faded into nothing. We were free.

We laughed. 

Tobias and the others, though I hadn't noticed it, had joined me in the fight. They later told me of how shocked they were at my ferocity. No more than I.

Rachel! 

This time, a strong voice, one that I couldn't silence, invaded my mind.

Rachel, you've got to get control!

Tobias!

We snarled in hate. He was trying to take me away from us. He must be stopped!

I fired at him, again and again. 

Still, he pleaded, he reasoned, he kept on fighting to bring me back.

Finally, he swooped in to close. We hit him.

Down he fell, to the scorched earth.

With what strength he had left, he yelled, Rachel! I love you!

I had wondered what was stronger than my sense of duty. Well, I found it.

****

NOOO! My heart screamed.

I watched Tobias tumble, and I fought with everything I had. You are just like a **morph** to me, you stupid monster. You made me kill Tobias.

****

So what, I felt it say. **What are all these little deaths, if we defeat you enemies?**

I reached for my right wrist-

__

What does it profit a person-

I yanked-

__

To gain the whole world-

I jerked, and felt a burn, and –

__

If they lose their own soul?-

And the Witchblade came off.

So did most of my right arm.

Blood gushed onto the grass. I sobbed for Tobias, not feeling my own pain.

I saw the Witchblade beside me.

****

Amazing, it said. **You found a reason greater than the desire to defeat your enemy, to fight.**

I have always wanted to kill; it is part of my nature. May be I was wrong. Rachel, I will heal your arm and Tobias, if you will show me what this reason is.

With my left hand, I touched it. You will be **my** weapon, you stupid glove. You will obey me.

****

Of course, it responded. **No one has ever forced me off before.** **You bear watching.**

"So be it!" I screamed to the sky.

We became one again. I rushed over to Tobias. I scooped him up in my arms, and gathered the Witchblade's powers. I healed him.

Everyone just stared at me.

I had a lot of explaining to do. When I told them about Jordan, they understood. 

"The Witchblade is a big responsibility, Rachel," said Jake. "Next time, tell somebody before you go off and do something like that! We could have helped you!"

I sighed. Now I am the bearer of one of the greatest powers on Earth, and I wasn't going to trust the Witchblade's promise of good behavior for a minute. Ho-boy, what's next?

Well, what do you think? 


End file.
